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First PS3 Games Priced At $59.99: Rumors Snuffed?

It's been a hot topic of debate recently, and the rumors created from a recent article posted on the Japanese website, Impress Watch, were instant and widespread. Sources in the piece referenced a "change in Sony's business model" as noted by "various manufacturers and distributors at the end of August." The editorial concluded that if the business model did indeed change, that pointed towards PS3 software priced anywhere between $75 and $90.

Clearly, Sony didn't think the rumor worthy of public clarification, and it appears they've let the retailers do their talking for them. Sony's online store, Sony Style, is allowing preorders for seven PS3 titles, all priced at $59.99. The games are Ubisoft's Blazing: Angels: Squadrons of WWII, Activision's Tony Hawk Project 8, Call of Duty 3, and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog and Full Auto 2: Battlelines, as well as Sony Online Entertainment's Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom.

This news essentially verifies a quote from Activision CEO Robert Kotick earlier this month, which reads-

"We have not seen a lot of consumer resistance at the higher price points, and we expect that all of our next-generation products will be launched at $60 price points."

However, it's interesting to note the price of Untold Legends, which is obviously a first-party title. It was becoming a standard practice for first-party games to be $10 cheaper than other games; Sony currently prices first-party PS2 titles at $39.99 and Microsoft prices first-party Xbox 360 games at $49.99. This doesn't necessarily mean the trend won't continue into the next generation for Sony, as they haven't officially announced the price of PS3 software, first-party or otherwise.

Lastly, the price points above are for pre-order only, and may be subject to change between now and their official releases. When Sony steps up and says anything definitive about this issue, we'll be quick to let you know.